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| ISBN-13: | 9781579656157 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Artisan |
| Publication date: | 03/06/2012 |
| Sold by: | Hachette Digital, Inc. |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 272 |
| File size: | 32 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
CHAPTER 1
Breakfast
My mom enjoyed the quiet moments of early morning. She rose in the dark at around five and went about her routine, listening to her favorite morning radio show, This Thing Called Life, which was broadcast throughout Southern California. As soon as Dr. Bill shouted, "Good morning, friends!" at seven, Mom would wake my sister, Natalie, and me from our sleep. She would say in her sweet morning voice, "Rise and shine," and carry in a cup of "coffee milk" (milk with a splash of coffee) to get us going.
Griff wakes me up exactly the same way each day. "It's time to rise and shine," he says at 3:30 A.M. Griff's body clock gets us to the bakery every morning in time to make the rustic breads and the pastries our customers have come to rely on to start their days. (Let's just say the bakery would never open in the morning if it weren't for Griff!)
By 4:30 A.M., we're in the car headed to the bakery. Like my mother, we have come to enjoy working in the peaceful moments before the sun rises. We keep the lights low. The only sound track is the hum of the refrigerators, the whir of the mixers, a timer beeping, and the beat of a whisk against the side of a stainless steel bowl.
Griff's routine is a kind of meditation. He mixes the bread dough, lets it ferment, cuts and shapes the individual loaves, proofs them, and then slides them into the oven to bake. While he's working on the bread, he runs through the day's lunch prep in his mind. I measure and set out the ingredients for cupcakes and frostings, mix chocolate chip cookie dough, and scoop batter into muffin tins. We speak very little. We are in the zone — our comfort zone. Griff moves on to making Ham and Cheese Pastry Puffs (page 28) while I gather the dry biscone ingredients. The bakery is filled with the sweet scent of Cinnamon-Sugar-Doughnut Muffins (page 20) baking in the oven and the caramelized notes from a pot of bacon jam (seepage 235) slow-cooking on the burner.
Before we know it, the front-of-house team arrives to stock the cases for the day. As the lights go up, our customers are greeted by the sound of the bell jingling above the door, the smell of fresh sourdough loaves pulled from the oven, and the clicks and grind of espresso beans for cappuccinos. The rhythm quickens throughout the day, but it's those early morning hours, peaceful and serene before the neighborhood wakes, when Griff and I most cherish being bakers.
Buttermilk Biscones Homemade Jam Blueberry Muffins Cinnamon-Sugar-Doughnut Muffins Carrot–Golden Raisin Muffins Mocha-Oatmeal Muffins Cranberry-Orange Muffins Peach Cobbler Muffins Ham and Cheese Pastry Puffs Guava–Sweet Cheese Turnovers Buttermilk Cornmeal Pancakes Baked Eggs with Grits and Ham Chewy Granola Bars Maple-Cinnamon Granola with Dried Fruit Hot Chocolate Mix
BUTTERMILK BISCONES
TENDER, LIGHT AND FLUFFY
We make our "biscones" with Southern flair, using lots of butter and a mix of all-purpose and cake flours to get as close as we can to the White Lily flour my grandma Hannah favored. If you're lucky enough to find White Lily, substitute 3 cups of it for the flours called for here. You'll end up with a crispy, flaky biscone just like my grandma used to bake.
Makes 10 to 12 biscones
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup dried fruit, such as sour cherries or currants (optional)
1½ cups buttermilk, or as needed
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of fine sea salt, for egg wash
¼ cup Cardamom Sugar (page 22) or coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom and whisk until completely incorporated. Add the butter and, working quickly, cut it in with a pastry blender. You should have various-sized pieces of butter, from sandy patches to pea-sized chunks, and some larger bits as well. Add the dried fruit, if using, and toss to distribute it evenly.
Gradually pour in the buttermilk and gently fold the ingredients until you have a soft dough and there are no bits of flour in the bottom of the bowl. You should still see lumps of butter in the dough; these will give you light and flaky biscones. If the dough seems dry, you may need to add a little more buttermilk. The dough should be moist and slightly sticky.
Gently pat down the dough with your hands right in the bowl until it resembles a loaf of bread. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, arranging them about 1 inch apart so that the biscones have room to rise and puff up. Lightly tap down the tops of the biscones.
Brush the tops of the biscones liberally with the egg wash. Sprinkle with Cardamom Sugar or sanding sugar.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even baking, until the biscones are lightly golden and fully baked. Serve warm or at room temperature. These are best eaten the day they are made.
VARIATIONS
Applewood-Smoked-Bacon Biscones
Omit the sugar and the dried fruit. After cutting in the butter, add 10 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cooked and roughly chopped, and 1½ cups shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese.
Blueberry Biscones with Lemon-Zest Glaze
After cutting in the butter, add ½ cup blueberries instead of the dried fruit. Use fresh berries if in season; if you're using frozen berries, add them unthawed.
While the biscones are baking, whisk ¾ cup confectioners' sugar with the grated zest and juice of 1 lemon in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over the slightly cooled (for approximately 10 minutes) biscones.
Cinnamon Biscones with Vanilla Drizzle
After cutting in the butter, add ½ cup cinnamon chips instead of the dried fruit. Use whole milk instead of buttermilk.
While the biscones are baking, whisk together ¾ cup confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over the slightly cooled (for approximately 10 minutes) biscones.
WHAT IS A BISCONE?
One of the most valuable lessons I've learned since opening the bakery is how to make a virtue out of necessity. Traditional biscuits and scones require mixing the ingredients, rolling out the dough, cutting the dough, and then baking.
Our revolutionary one-bowl, no-roll technique saves time, and the result is a tender pastry that marries the fluffy, delicate texture of a Southern buttermilk biscuit with the rich, buttery flavor of an English scone. (With this simple foundation, you can go either sweet or savory.) By mixing the ingredients until they are just combined, you avoid overworking the dough — you don't have to knead it, or even turn it out of the bowl. You simply scoop each biscone with an ice cream scoop right from the bowl. The technique is a bit of genius, if you ask me.
HOMEMADE JAM
NATURALLY SWEET AND BRIGHT
When Griff and I travel, I often pick up a jar of locally produced jam, knowing that the flavors will remind me of our trip. There's just something about opening a jar of fresh berry jam in the middle of winter and spreading it on a warm biscone. This simple and flavorful version won't take much time to make, and it's a fun thing to do with your kids on a lazy afternoon.
Makes 2 pints
2 pounds fresh berries, such as strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries
4 cups sugar Grated zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Candy thermometer Mason jars with lids (optional)
Rinse the berries in a colander under cold running water; drain. Hull strawberries and cut into quarters; leave smaller berries whole. Put a small saucer in the freezer while you boil the jam.
Put the berries in a large, heavy nonreactive saucepan and toss them with the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, over low heat until all the sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes. You will notice the mixture begin to rise and foam around the edges of the pan. Gradually raise the heat to high, stirring often, and continue to cook, stirring constantly and gently scraping the bottom of the pan so the mixture does not stick. (If the mixture does begin to stick, turn down the heat slightly.) The mixture will start to boil slowly as the berries release their juices; continue to boil, stirring frequently, until the jam reaches a rolling boil or registers 220°F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let the mixture rest for a few minutes, then carefully skim the foam from the top. Return the pan to the stove and cook until the juices begin to gel, about 5 minutes. The jam should look glossy and dark at this point; this is when you should begin to test for doneness. Place a teaspoon of the jam on the cold plate. Return the plate to the freezer for 1 minute. If you can make a line through the jam with your finger, it's ready. If the jam still is too runny, continue to cook and test it until it is ready. Let cool.
Store the jam in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or seal it in Mason jars according to the manufacturer's guidelines.
Sweet Note: Turn Your Jam into Jam Butter
Jam butter made with your homemade jam is an easy and delicious way to layer flavors on scones, biscuits, breads, and muffins.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream ¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, until light and fluffy. Add 5 tablespoons of your favorite jam and mix until combined. Serve at room temperature in small cups or ramekins. Jam butter will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
FULL OF PLUMP BERRIES
For years, I refused to use anything but fresh berries in our muffins. Then one day I made the muffins using some blueberries that I had frozen earlier in the summer. I was thrilled to find that the "fresh" frozen blueberries baked beautifully. If you use frozen berries, add them before they have thawed.
Makes 12 muffins
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ cup canola oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¾ cup whole milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
¼ cup Cardamom Sugar (page 22) or coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 12 large muffin cups with vegetable oil spray or line them with paper muffin cups.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom until thoroughly combined.
In another bowl, whisk together the canola oil, butter, vanilla, eggs, and milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid ingredients, and mix just until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries, using as few strokes as possible; be careful not to overmix. With a large ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them approximately two-thirds full. Sprinkle the tops with Cardamom Sugar or sanding sugar.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown. The tops should be firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
Turn the muffins out of the pan and enjoy warm or at room temperature. The muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Sweet Note: Freezing Berries
I like to buy as many pints of berries as I can at the farmers' market and freeze them so that I can get the fresh fruit flavor all year long. Here's the best way to do it: Rinse the berries in a colander and spread them out on paper towels to dry thoroughly. When they are dry, line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the berries out on the pan, then place the pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Once the berries are hard, put them in an airtight container or in Mason jars and keep them in the freezer until ready to use or for up to 6 months.
CINNAMON-SUGAR-DOUGHNUT MUFFINS
PERFECT FOR DUNKIN'
At least once a week, someone comes into the bakery asking for doughnuts. Don't get me wrong: we love doughnuts too, it's just not what we do. But we don't want unhappy customers, so we created an ode to the doughnut in the form of a muffin with a cakey consistency and a sweet cinnamon coating. It's baked, not fried, and it tastes just like an old-fashioned doughnut.
Makes 12 muffins
FOR THE MUFFINS
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2½ teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons buttermilk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
FOR THE DOUGHNUT COATING
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
To make the muffins: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 12 large muffin cups with vegetable oil spray.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom. In a medium bowl, combine the milk and buttermilk.
In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream the butter for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the speed to low and gradually add the sugar. Continue to mix until the mixture lightens in color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until combined. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture, mixing just until smooth; do not overmix.
With a large ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them approximately two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are firm to the touch and lightly golden.
While the muffins bake, set up two bowls to dunk them in. In one bowl you will have the melted butter, and in the other bowl you will have the cinnamon sugar.
Let the doughnuts cool completely on a wire rack. Dunk them in the melted butter, then coat them with the cinnamon sugar. The muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Sweet Note: Sugar and Spice
Flavored sugars add another dimension of taste and texture to scones, muffins, pies, and cobblers — and even to your morning tea or coffee. They are easy to make at home. Fill a 1-quart Mason jar with granulated sugar and add your choice of the following flavors:
For Vanilla Sugar, split 2 vanilla beans in half and scrape the seeds into the sugar. Add the bean pods and seal tightly with the lid. The flavor will be more pronounced if you wait 2 weeks before using. You can keep this sugar almost indefinitely in the airtight jar; just replenish with more sugar after each use. The vanilla beans should stay fragrant for up to 1 year.
For Cinnamon Sugar, add 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon and 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks to the sugar and seal tightly. Store for up to 1 year.
For Cardamom Sugar, add ½ cup whole green cardamom pods to the sugar. Seal the jar and store for up to 1 year.
CARROT — GOLDEN RAISIN MUFFINS
INTENSELY RICH AND MOIST
When the days grow shorter and you're craving something warm and filling, these molasses-infused muffins are a great way to start your day. The flavor gets a nice bit of spice from the cinnamon and molasses.
Makes 12 muffins
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
¾ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups firmly packed grated carrots
¼ cup golden raisins Turbinado sugar for sprinkling (see Tip)
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 12 large muffin cups with vegetable oil spray or line them with paper muffin cups.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together into a large mixing bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, molasses, and granulated sugar. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in the carrots and raisins with as few gentle strokes as possible.
With a large ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them approximately two-thirds full. Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Cheryl Day and Griffith Day.
Excerpted by permission of Workman Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Foreword by Paula Dean,
Introduction,
The Method to the Magic,
The Baker's Tool Kit,
A Peek Inside Our Spice Cabinet,
CHAPTER 1: Breakfast,
CHAPTER 2: Coffee Cakes, Quick Breads, and Sweet Yeast Breads,
CHAPTER 3: Cupcakes and Cakes,
CHAPTER 4: Pies, Cobblers, Crisps, and Tarts,
CHAPTER 5: Puddings and Custards,
CHAPTER 6: Cookies,
CHAPTER 7: Brownies and Bars,
CHAPTER 8: Confections,
CHAPTER 9: Savories,
Resources,
Acknowledgments,
Cookbooks are the gifts that keep on giving—they inspire us to be creative, to challenge ourselves, and to eat more brownies in one sitting than we ever thought possible. This Mother’s Day, why not go one step further than giving a snazzy cookbook filled with mouthwatering pictures to the mom in your life—by presenting her […]
